Generally, an electrical connector includes some form of insulative or dielectric housing which mounts one or more conductive terminals. The housing is configured for mating with a complementary mating connector or other connecting device which, itself, has one or more conductive terminals. A connector assembly typically includes a pair of mating connectors, such as plug and receptacle connectors sometimes called male and female connectors. The interengaging terminals of the connectors, themselves, may be male and female terminals.
One type of electrical connector is a power connector which mounts one or more power terminals. One type of power terminal, as shown in FIG. 6a and 6b as opposed terminals, is a female terminal adapted for receiving and engaging a power terminal blade of a complementary mating connector or other connecting device. The female terminal is configured for engaging both opposite sides of the power terminal blade. Heretofore, typical female terminals of this type included a redundant pair of contact walls on opposite sides of the terminal blade, each wall having a plurality of bent contact arms for engaging a respective side of the terminal blade. For instance, the contact arms may be bent back from a top edge of the contact wall. The opposite edge of the contact wall is located at a terminating face of the connector and may include a plurality of tail portions for insertion into appropriate holes in a printed circuit board, for instance.
One problem with prior art connectors as described above is that the terminals include a pair of separate contact portions on opposite sides of the power terminal blade. If one of the contact portions is not fully inserted into the connector housing or is not inserted at all, the other contact portion still may pass an electrical continuity inspection but will result in a lower current carrying capacity since both contact portions are required for an effective electrical engagement. Other problems with such two-part female terminals for receiving terminal blades involves the latch in the base which will reduce current flow, will not allow for a close side by side placement of the terminals, and will not provide a precise location and a stable engagement in the housing. The present invention is directed to solving these various problems and providing an efficient connector having an improved female terminal of the character described.